


Against All Odds

by larrystylickson



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Movie Watching, Not romance but not-not romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 12:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9656903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrystylickson/pseuds/larrystylickson
Summary: "If Veronica were to leave, it would prove to everyone that there was too much tension, sexual or otherwise, for the two of them to hang out alone without it crossing some kind of line. If Veronica and Archie could spend time together without it being weird, Veronica would know that she could be around Archie without hurting her best friend."----Or, Betty's mom didn't let her go, Kevin was babysitting, and Jughead couldn't be bothered to get out of bed.





	

The two of them didn’t mean to end up, alone, together. 

They really didn’t. Everything that lead up to Archie and Veronica being alone together was completely accidental. Veronica would never do that to Betty.

In fact, she even said so.

“Archie, I could never do this Betty. Not again. Sorry, but this is just too weird. I’m just going to go home.” 

The only problem was that it was in fact, raining. Veronica’s jacket, while in correct fashion for this time of year, did not account for the unpredictable weather and lack of Ubers that came with living in a small town. Veronica had to decide between getting drenched on her way home or staying here, at Archie’s house, alone. 

Neither option seemed too appealing to her.

“I wouldn’t either, but this isn’t us doing anything. You could just stay here. I know things are…a little weird right now, but there’s nothing wrong with us being friends, right? We can’t hurt Betty by just being friends. It would probably be good for us to get to know each other better so we can stop walking on eggshells around each other.” What Archie was saying, was of course very true. 

If Veronica were to leave, it would prove to everyone that there was too much tension, sexual or otherwise, for the two of them to hang out alone without it crossing some kind of line. If Veronica and Archie could spend time together without it being weird, Veronica would know that she could be around Archie without hurting her best friend.

So in the interest of Betty Cooper, Veronica decided to stay. As she crossed the threshold into Archie’s house, she was already worried she had made the wrong decision. 

“And, like, I promise I won’t try anything.” He said, completely serious.

“Fuck, Archie.” Said Veronica. “You just made it fucking weird again.”

——

It happened in the stupidest way possible; everybody was supposed to come over to Archie’s house. It was supposed to be a group hangout. Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and Kevin. The first one, actually, of them all spending time together. Jughead and Archie were finally friends again, and they had all been sitting together at lunch and breaks. Veronica was excited that she finally felt she had her own little group in Riverdale, something that had been lacking ever since she moved from New York. 

The Saturday hangout however, fell apart faster than you could say “squad”. 

Kevin was the first one out. 

“I’m really sorry guys but I’ve got to babysit my siblings that night.” Kevin sighed the next day at lunch. “I forgot that the second Saturday of the month is my parent’s date night.”  
“Your parents do date night every month?” Jughead asked. “Sounds exhausting.”

“Actually, that’s kind of adorable.” Veronica gushed.

“Still as in love as the day they got married.” Betty teased, as Kevin gagged across the table. Betty turned to Veronica. “Kevin’s parents are so cute. You’ll die when you meet them.”

“Well, that sucks Kev. I guess the four of us can just hang out then?” Archie’s question was met with four enthusiastic nods. 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Betty smiled.

——

Apparently, the world was equivalent to Betty’s mom making sudden “family plans” as soon as she heard she was going over to Archie’s on Saturday. Kevin not being there, and him being the only one of Betty’s friends that Mrs. Cooper considered acceptable, meant that she saw no reason for Betty to be allowed to attend. 

“I can’t believe her!” Betty shouted angrily on a group Skype call.

“The rest of us can.” Jughead said, in-between handfuls of potato chips.

“Can’t you just sneak out or something? Just this once?” Veronica begged, thinking about how awkward it will be for her to spend the day with two ex-best friends, one of which she’s barely spoken to and the other that she knows all too well. 

“Veronica…have you met my mother?” Betty asked, pointedly. She was met by a quick chorus of agreements that Betty sneaking out would be the possible worst reason in the world. 

“Well I guess it’s just down to three of us.” Archie said. “That okay?”

Veronica and Jughead nodded, while Kevin began talking the background about how it was never going to be fun with Betty anyways, because he couldn’t make it. 

——

Jughead, of course, just didn’t show up. 

“Where is he?” Veronica asked, for probably the 18th time in the past twenty minutes. She was digging into the bottom the barrel of a peanut butter jar, before giving up and putting it down on the ground for Vegas. 

“He’s probably asleep. That’s where he usually is, anyways.” Archie was sifting through his kitchen cupboards for more snacks. He had been avoiding looking Veronica in the eyes, and it was slowly driving Veronica insane. It was like the boy didn’t know how friendship worked. 

“You know, back in New York, if someone didn’t show up somewhere that they said they were going to be, we kicked them out of the group.” Veronica mentioned causally.  
Archie’s head snapped up at that. 

“Wait, really? That seems, like, a little bit harsh don’t you think?” Archie seemed a little bit judgemental when he spoke. Well, at least he was finally looking Veronica in the eyes. 

“Yeah, it was kind of a bitchy thing to do, but it’s just what we did. We had a whole list of rules, and if you didn’t follow them, you were axed immediately. Blocked on every form of social media, and just never spoken to again. We were like our own high class version of the plastics.” Veronica smirked at her movie reference.

“Plastics? Like, as in Barbie dolls?” Archie asked. 

“No, like as in Mean Girls? The movie?” Veronica raised her voice accidentally at the shock of Archie not knowing the joy of such a beloved cult film.

“Oh, yeah, never seen it. People sure do love to quote it, though.” Archie dismissed the topic.

“What do you mean you’ve never seen Mean Girls?” Veronica exploded.

“Well, I don’t know, isn’t it kinda like, for girls? Like a chick flick?” Archie said.

“What? Just because it’s a female-lead movie, only girls can enjoy it?” Veronica said.

“Well, no-“ Archie started to defend himself, but Veronica threw her hand up to shut him up.

“I wasn’t finished, Archibald. Do you like SNL?” Archie nodded, unsure whether he was allowed to speak. Veronica was please that he quickly figured out that he was not. “Well, Mean Girls was written by Tina Fey, one of SNL’s most successful alumni, not to mention someone who has been paving the road for women in comedy for decades, all while being hilarious. Will Ferrel and Adam Sandler, two other successful SNL alums, don’t get treated this way and I would argue that most of their movies don’t match the comedic genius that is seen in the writing and production of Mean Girls. It is, ball means a movie, that boasts a hilarious female lead cast, with beautifully done comedy that shouldn’t be ignored just because the cover is pink and it stars a teenage girl.” Veronica tried her best not to pant after how worked up she had gotten over her speech.

Archie just stared. He looked a little bit afraid. 

Veronica sighed.

“Where’s your TV?” Veronica asked. 

“The living room, just right over there.” Archie pointed out the door frame. 

“Okay. We’re going to watch Mean Girls.” Veronica waltzed into Archie’s living room, and began messing with his remote to try to find the on-demand option.

——

“Oh my god!” Archie exclaimed.

Veronica groaned. 

“What now? Do you have any more insightful thoughts about the movie? Because I think I really needed it pointed out that Cady has trouble being in high school because she’s never been in high school.” As it turns out, Archie is a little bit slow when it comes to movies. 

“No, Regina just got hit by a bus! Is she dead? I hope she’s dead. She was a bitch. Oh wait, never mind, she’s not dead.”

Veronica snorted. 

“It would be so cool if she was dead.”

At that, Veronica couldn’t help but to burst out laughing.

——

“Okay, you were right, that movie was actually pretty good.” Archie said, in defeat. 

“Do you promise to never again judge a movie by a young female lead?” Veronica asked.

“No. If a movie casts like, Meghan Fox as their lead I’m still probably going to judge them a little bit.” Archie said.

“She really can’t act, can she?”

“She really can’t.”

That sat in silence for a short minute.

“Hey, Archie?” Veronica asked, hesitantly.

“Yeah?” 

“Are things always going to be weird between us?”

“Were things weird today?”

Veronica thought about that for a second. When Veronica first walked in this house, it felt as if she was walking on egg shells. But right now? She felt okay. Being with Archie, alone, felt okay.

“Well we just watched an entire movie sitting an appropriate amount of distance away from each other on the couch. Not too close, but not awkwardly far. I didn’t once think about trying to move closer. That seems normal.” Veronica reasoned.

“I didn’t think about doing anything either. I was too focused taking in the genius comedy of Mean Girls.” Veronica laughed. Archie shrugged. “That seems like what should be normal.”

“Have you ever had a normal friendship with a girl?”

“I don’t know anymore. There’s always been Betty, but like, I don’t know what to think of that anymore. She’s been my friend forever, and she’s like my sister. I think. I don’t know. If we were watching a movie, I might have my arm around her or something. It didn’t mean anything to me, but I think it might have meant a lot to her. All along. How long as she liked me?” Archie asked.

“I’ve been here for a month, Archie.” Veronica said.

“Right.” Archie paused. “But if you had to guess-“

“If I had to guess I would tell you that that girl has been in love with you since the moment she laid eyes on you, Archie Andrews.” Veronica said. “And I would also guess that you were blind to it all along because you loved her so much.”

“That’s probably all correct, then.” Archie trailed off. 

“It’s not your fault, Archie. Just, maybe don’t touch her anymore unless you have the intention to date her.” Veronica said.

“I wish I did.” Archie said.

“I hate this.” He said.

“I love her.” He said.

“I love her too, Archie, and that’s why you better not touch me either.” Veronica said.

“I won’t.”

“And I promise I won’t touch you.” Archie nodded.

They sat in silence for a bit.

“Have you ever had a normal friendship with a guy” Archie asked. 

“Not ones that aren’t gay.” Veronica said. “I went to an all girls school back in New York. Boys being anywhere meant it was an occasion, I guess. It wasn’t really until I moved here that I’ve realized that boys can be friends in the exact same way girls can. Even ones I’m attracted to.”

“Really?” Archie asked.

Veronica smiled at Archie. When she first walked into Pop Tate’s and saw him for the first time, she will admit that she just saw him as, well, a cute boy. It’s something that had happened to her a million times before. Veronica Lodge came, saw, and conquered. At least when it came to the opposite sex. She had a feeling that Archie was special from the first time she saw him. But maybe it wasn’t because they were going to date or hook up or fall in love. It might very well be because Archie was the first boy to show Veronica that boys are just like girls, in most ways anyways. All it took was a Lindsey Lohan movie to realize it.

“Really.”


End file.
